AI may be all the buzz right now, but it’s nothing new. 

For instance, have you ever communicated with a chatbot? Taken advantage of your email suggesting the first sentence or subject line? Used editing software to help improve your writing skills? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, you have experienced the power of AI – whether you realized it or not.

The truth is, AI comes in many forms and has been changing the way businesses work for a while now – especially when it comes to driving meaningful results for your marketing. 

ChatGPT Is Leading The Technical Revolution

Taking the business world by storm one prompt at a time, ChatGPT is changing the inner operations of businesses across the globe with digital marketing at the forefront.

Integrate marketing campaigns that bring results. Reach out to Exults today for a custom quote.

The Evolution Of ChatGPT 

Whether or not you believe it’s been a game changer, ChatGPT has certainly made a name for itself. After previous versions meant for applications such as video games, OpenAI released a new version built on top of the former with a language model chatbot included. 

The results have been met with awe. The first takeaway is the AI’s ability to perform infinite demands with a prompt command. With a little further utilization, users have been continuously wowed by the AI’s ability to follow along and adjust its outputs based on conversation history. 

While it does not currently perform the conversational functions that chatbot-specific AIs have excelled in, it doesn’t mean that won’t be happening soon. However, conversational functions or not, ChatGPT is making strides in the marketing industry – especially in social media marketing and search engine optimization (SEO).

Curious about how ChatGPT can optimize your business? Contact Exults for a custom quote today!

Why So Many Companies Are Using ChatGPT In Their Marketing

Technical advances are constantly changing the digital marketing landscape. From automation and optimizations to augmented realities and a reduction of human labor hours, the technical revolution can’t be ignored. 

With so many advances, why is ChatGPT creating a bigger buzz than the rest? Simply, it’s streamlining the existing functions in a way that’s never been seen before.

The amount of work ChatGPT can help with would have been unfathomable only a few years ago. These days, AI users can explore the intricacies of ChatGPT without sign-up fees or restrictions. Meaning, digital marketers have seen the results and it comes down to the detailed input. Overall, the more detailed the prompt, the more detailed the response. 

Market Research Analysis

Need to see how your brand is stacking up against the competition? What used to be a job role in its own right can now be completed with a well-thought-out ChatGPT input. 

To perform your own market research analysis, ask ChatGPT to create an assessment of the similarities and differences between competitors and your own business. Include parameters such as branding, messaging, pricing, and marketing positioning. Furthermore, ask ChatGPT to provide a detailed report that includes charts, graphs, and tables. And ask, “What actionable steps can my brand take to improve and be better than the competition?” 

From the results, you will not only have a clear understanding of your brand’s current standing, but you’ll also have visual representations to present to your business partners and investors. 

Content Creation

How do you stay relevant in today’s world? Many businesses are finding success through social media. But the caveat is you have to consistently create and post across your social media platforms. 

Finding the time to do this has held many businesses back…until now.

With ChatGPT, you can fill in the social media section of your editorial calendar with specific prompts. To do this, tell ChatGPT to create social media captions for the platforms you use. Then include in your input to focus on unique, eye-catching, on-brand, witty, and aesthetically pleasing copy. 

Take it further by telling ChatGPT that the goal is to capture the attention of your current audience and any potential new followers with hashtags for the most visibility. Add that you want it to continue this process and create a content calendar with the same parameters for 3 posts a week for a month – or however many posts per week you need. Finally, tell ChatGPT that all posts should utilize varying verticals for this content creation.  

The ChatGPT response will lay out a social media content calendar that would take a person hours to complete. 

Email Responses

How do you focus on tasks when the emails just keep rolling in? 

It can be time-consuming and distracting to shift gears to respond to emails. But now with ChatGPT, you can have AI draft these responses for you.

Write a prompt demand telling ChatGPT to respond to the following email. Include any parameters necessary. This may include the tone, whether you want to agree or disagree with any questions, and so on. Then, copy and paste the sender’s email under your prompt. 

Capabilities like these allow ChatGPT to work in the background while you work in the foreground. Like having a personal assistant without the added expense, ChatGPT is giving businesses more multitasking power than ever before. 

What To Expect From ChatGPT Moving Forward

Nothing breeds innovation like competition. With that in mind, we expect OpenAI to continue releasing improved versions of ChatGPT. 

It will not be a surprise to see new functions that were once primarily known to be specific to other AI platforms. For example, ChatGPT may hone in on focused conversational abilities to offer more abilities to OpenAI users. 

Overall, expect ChatGPT (and other AI platforms) to introduce new versions that pull from each other’s capabilities. 

A few of the specific AI benefits that we can expect to further improve include:

• Expedited content creation
• Reduced human labor hours
• Improved automation and optimization

When used in digital marketing, professionals are already able to exceed what was once the standard. When treated as the tools they are, it’s an exciting time to see how AI continues to positively impact the businesses that utilize the platforms to optimize their marketing. 

Exults’ Take On The AI Platforms

As a digital marketing agency that truly drives results, the Exults team doesn’t back away from innovative tools that improve our processes and increase productivity. 

For over 5 years, we have utilized AI in various ways to help our clients reach their goals. With that being said, when there are tools available to you, such as ChatGPT, use them!

By optimizing our process with automation and more, we are able to support our client’s growth goals. Because when it comes to improving your business through digital marketing – you need a team willing to go the distance and use the best tools available.

Ready to boost your efficiency with a team that can support your growth goals? Contact Exults for a custom quote today!

The post ChatGPT: How AI Can Drive Meaningful Results For Your Marketing appeared first on Exults Digital Marketing Agency.

Online reviews can make or break a company. In addition to negative reviews costing companies sales and public image, even a lack of customer reviews can dramatically reduce a company’s customer engagement and conversion.

Companies with an online presence must have a review engagement plan to encourage customer feedback, implement positive reviews, and gracefully handle negative reviews. Exults can assist companies with soliciting and handling online reviews to increase their online presence as well as customer satisfaction and new business.

Asking for Reviews

Of course, hiring people to write reviews is dishonest, and Google will respond negatively to such tactics. However, encouraging customers to leave feedback is both valid and encouraged. Companies can post customer reviews on their website and urge customers to leave their own reviews on third-party review sites or through a form on their websites.

Common review request reminders include adding a reminder after the purchase or sending a follow-up email a few weeks after the purchase. Software – both smartphone apps and traditional desktop applications – have routine reminders for their users to submit feedback either directly to the company or to a third-party review site.

Positive Reviews Lead to Higher Google Rankings

When determining the search result ranking of a page or company, Google performs a deep search on the company and media related to it. Customers who submit reviews for a company yield more hits for Google to investigate. And Google will award higher rankings to companies with multiple honest reviews. (This only applies to genuine reviews; Google will detect generic, false reviews from bots and lower the company’s ranking.)

Customer Reviews are Free, Fresh Content

Roughly 90% of online consumers read customer reviews before visiting a company’s website or going to a brick-and-mortar office. Customers who write about their experiences and their unsolicited reactions and feelings can be a great boon to a company, especially companies that rely on word-of-mouth or do not yet have a sizeable marketing budget. Customer reviews can also help emerging companies establish or solidify their brand or their corporate image.

Positive Customer Reviews Make for Great Press

There is a significant difference between a company claiming that their product is great and a group of satisfied customers praising the company’s products and services. Companies with multiple positive reviews should spread positive reviews to bolster their image. In addition to sharing positive reviews on the company website, companies can include positive reviews in marketing content and press reviews.

Customer Reviews Generate Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are terms that help customers find companies with certain specialties or geographic locations. “Needle-free acupuncture” and “free delivery in Chicago” are examples of long-tail keywords that can guide customers to a company that closely meets their needs. Customer reviews with similar terms or themes can create organic long-tail keywords which Google will detect and apply to search results. Although companies should consider which keywords are associated with their company, they should adopt the positive keywords suggested by customer reviews instead of ignoring or resisting them.

Vitral Reviews Lead to a Conversion Surge

Customer reviews that are memorable, humorous, or issued by a popular public figure can spread quickly over social media sites. A company that goes viral due to excellent customer service and products will receive a significant boost in website visitors, emails, phone calls, and other communications that can lead to new customers and new sales.

Get Familiar with Google SEO and Major Online Reviewer Sites

There is a difference between buying customer reviews and learning more about the sites that will, directly and indirectly, affect a customer’s search rankings and reputations. Many sites offer plug-ins, tutorials, and similar technical assistance that will simplify the process of companies soliciting feedback. And keeping a watch of what customers are saying can allow companies to adjust their media outreach and marketing efforts to respond to common customer comments, memes, and other online communications.

Niche Companies Should (Also) Engage with Niche Review Sites

Companies with a strong online presence in mainstream review sites have a significant edge over their competitors. However, companies whose products and services are not mainstream and companies with a specific target audience should also look for alternative review sites that closely match their products and services. This can be an essential marketing strategy for companies with a new or unique service or companies with a specialty service.

Turning Negative Reviews into Strengths

“You can’t please all of the people all of the time” applies to companies as well as it does to people. Even companies with well-earned reputations for quality service will have negative reviews. Companies should reply to negative reviews to demonstrate customer engagement.

Companies’ media liaisons should not let their emotions taint their response; in addition to the appearance of unprofessionalism, companies should seek to calm customers’ anger, not intensify it. Customers should thoroughly research both the complaint and the source as such research can differentiate between a problem with the company and a perpetual complainer (or a bot-generated review).

Responding in a personal matter is crucial. The response should indicate that the company understands the negative complaint and that the company’s response is not a copied-and-pasted generic reply. When a company can convince a dissatisfied customer to continue the conversation in private venues, the company can more freely work on satisfying the customer without attracting system abusers or damaging their Google search ranking. And when a company can successfully resolve a customer’s issue in a way that satisfies the customer, asking the customer to update their review can mitigate or neutralize the effect of the negative review.

Exults provides multiple online services for new and established companies. We can help clients manage their online presence on many popular social media sites. Our staff can create new websites from scratch or optimize existing websites for higher SEO rankings. Additionally, we create targeted ads that will increase customer engagement and conversions. Please feel free to contact us by requesting a quote online, filling out our online form, or calling us at 1-866-999-4736.

The post Utilizing and Managing Online Customer Reviews appeared first on Exults Digital Marketing Agency.

The holiday season may look different this year, but the gifting component appears to be in full swing. In response, the Google Shopping Gift Guide has already compiled a list of trends covering which products seem to be generating the most interest in 2020. Unsurprisingly, Exults found that a lot of trends the search giant underscored can be linked back to the “new normal” consumers have faced in 2020.

Given that people are spending more time at home and supplementing in-person interactions with virtual ones, search trends are reflecting these changes in behavior. Consumers are more interested in items that can keep them occupied at home or improve their technological experiences. 

Here are some of the online behaviors highlighted inside Google’s Shopping Gift Guide:

Consumers Want Better Tech

With just about everything going virtual in 2020, it is probably no surprise there is a demand for improved technology this year. Many professionals have moved to remote work, and plenty of children are learning remotely as well. Individuals are also using FaceTime, Zoom, and similar applications to replace in-person socialization. Naturally, people are looking to upgrade their devices.

Google’s gift guide confirms this, revealing that both monitors and headsets in microphones witnessed a 450% increase in searches. “Streaming” searches spiked by 33%, and the search volume for ring lights—which provide improved lighting when using video—is the highest ever.

With more time spent in front of screens and increased necessity when it comes to video and audio quality, Google’s guide suggests helping loved ones amp up their tech reserve this holiday season.

Hobbies and Home Improvement on the Rise

The year 2020 not only forced individuals to use devices more frequently; it also pushed consumers to remain at home more often. This may be why Google determined hobby and home-related items are receiving more interest than usual.

One of the major categories in Google’s shopping gift guide is related to baking and cooking, two hobbies people seem to be fostering with lockdowns and stay-at-home orders effective. According to Google, bakeware and cookware searches have increased by 34% in 2020. Searches for coffee makers and recipes have also reached an all-time high. This means kitchenware or recipe books are likely to be appreciated gifts this holiday season.

Gaming is another prominent category on Google’s list, with searches for consoles up by 39%. Although gaming searches typically skyrocket this time of year, Google has seen interest hit a five-year high in 2020. This is likely in part due to the release of next-generation consoles like Sony’s PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Series S.

Focusing on Health

Google focused on both physical and mental well-being in this year’s guide, with exercise and self-care as two of its categories. During unprecedented times like these, consumers are no doubt experiencing increased stress. Perhaps that’s why they’re seeking out items that will alleviate that burden.

Per Google’s report, self-care searches reached a high this year, increasing by 250%. Gift baskets and care packages have seen increased interest, with searches 130% higher than usual. Skincare searches have also jumped up by 29% in 2020, with Google recommending a number of beauty items in its gift guide.

In terms of physical wellness, searches for exercise are up by 85% this year. Instead of sitting around during their increased time at home, it seems consumers are making an effort to get in shape. According to Google, search interest for workout equipment has jumped 116% in 2020, and interest in sportswear has reached an all-time high with its 23% increase.

With such an increased focus on well-being, Google has highlighted fitness and self care-related items for this holiday season.

Kids Keeping Busy

Whether they’re remote learning, using a hybrid approach to schooling, or simply not seeing neighborhood friends as often, kids have more time on their hands in 2020. Naturally, that means parents are attempting to keep them engaged and occupied. It seems increased play is the answer families are turning to, and this was especially evident when the health crisis first emerged. According to Google, both board games and puzzles saw atypical spikes in interest back in April.

These are among the items the search engine is suggesting for kids in its gift guides. Searches for roller skates and longboards have also hit record numbers this year, suggesting kids are playing outside more. Whether this will continue through the winter remains to be seen.

Overall, kids seem just as intent on staying busy and taking up new hobbies as adults. The year 2020 has no doubt tested all of us, but consumers are finding ways to adapt to the “new normal.” Clearly, for many, this also means shifting behaviors when it comes to making purchases.

The post An Overview of Data Inside the Google Shopping Gift Guide appeared first on Exults Digital Marketing Agency.

The holiday season may look different this year, but it remains one of the busiest times for consumers and businesses alike. Small businesses and major retailers are doing everything they can to bring in sales despite the new challenges 2020 has presented, including utilizing holiday social media trends. With a shift to e-commerce and digital marketing, having a strong social media presence is key for any business to have a successful holiday season and new year.

With so many different platforms at our fingertips, it can be difficult to know where to begin outlining your social media strategy. Luckily, the social media experts at Exults are here to help identify holiday trends, what’s doing well this year, and what’s likely to continue seeing growth. 

Here are some holiday social media trends your company can take advantage of this season:

Start Making Video Content

Video content has been increasing in popularity for years, and 2020 proved a big year for platforms like TikTok and YouTube. Because of this, brands have begun to embrace video content more than ever. If your company hasn’t delved into this category yet, the holiday season is the perfect time to do so. 

Video is a compelling and visual way to get your messaging across and expand your following. The important thing about creating videos is to avoid being too salesy. Content like this should be about providing value and entertainment. Once you’ve got your audience’s attention, reach and sales will follow.

There are plenty of platforms for creating and sharing videos. TikTok and Instagram Stories have become must-haves over the past year or so, but YouTube is a staple in this category, particularly when it comes to long-form content. 

Which platform will work for you depends on where your audience is most likely to be and the kind of message you’re hoping to get across. For the holiday season, you can use videos to promote any sales and deals you’re having, as well as to spread cheer and talk about how you’re celebrating.

Promote the Act of Giving Back

The holiday season is all about giving, and charities could certainly use the extra hand this year. With so many struggling this holiday season, your brand can pitch in to help. This can take many forms — from hosting a toy or food drive to collecting donations for the charity of your choice. Whatever cause your company chooses to focus on, promoting on social channels is a good idea.

First, highlighting what you’re doing to help your community will endear people to your business. It never hurts to be associated with goodwill, especially as people look for local businesses to support. In fact, a recent study from Zeno demonstrates that consumers are more likely to shop at companies with “purpose.”

Promoting what you’re doing on socials will also enable you to involve your customers in the process. Not only will they get to know your brand by participating, but collecting toys or food might bring them into your store. It’s a win-win situation.

Show Your Staff Some Love

Donating to charity isn’t the only way to show appreciation this year. Another way to spread the love this holiday season is by highlighting how much you appreciate your staff. Presenting a united front to customers is always important, and that’s especially true after this year.

Post a status update, story, or video thanking those who have continued to show up for your business all year. If you plan on hosting some kind of holiday party to thank your staff (virtual gatherings work too), you can also take a picture and share that to social media. It will show your customers you have your priorities straight, and it will make them feel involved.

 Get Festive on Your Stories

We could all use some extra cheer this year, so don’t be afraid to get festive with social media stories. With many consumers having a quieter holiday season in 2020, your followers are bound to appreciate any festivity that comes their way. Instagram’s story feature is probably the most popular, but Facebook and Twitter also enable brands to share stories.

As for what to share in your social stories, your company can and should mix it up. If you’re running promotions or deals, your customers will no doubt want to hear about it. The same goes for any charitable events you’re hosting or supporting. 

It also can’t hurt to show your followers how you’re celebrating the holidays. Posting your store’s decorations or any festive projects you’re doing at home will give your feeds a personalized feel. Personalization often strengthens customer loyalty. Your customers will get to know you better through your stories and feel like they’re celebrating the holidays alongside you.

Even just wishing your followers “Happy Holidays” or “Happy New Year” on your stories can go a long way. You want your customers to feel the warmth and positivity often associated with this time of year. If your brand can give them those feelings by taking advantage of holiday social media trends, they’re more likely to return!

The post Holiday Social Media Trends: The Best Strategies for Improving Your Social Media Presence appeared first on Exults Digital Marketing Agency.

The crisis related to the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people around the nation (and the world) live their daily lives. From remote work orders, to online schooling, to web-based fitness sessions, to virtual birthdays, folks of all ages have been forced to adjust to a world in which mandated shelter-in place and social distancing directives have all but eliminated  familiar routines and replaced them with a “new normal.” 

Businesses are Evolving to Meet Changing Consumer Demands and Behaviors

And consumers aren’t the only ones adjusting! Many businesses are adapting on the fly, beefing up ecommerce capabilities and delivery options as local health ordinances and the fear of catching the coronavirus forced many shoppers to remain at home. Take the food industry, for example. Online grocery sales through Amazon Fresh, Instacart, and Peapod saw a hug uptick, as did companies like DoorDash, GrubHub, and Uber Eats in the meal delivery sector. 

On the topic of food, one niche area that has experienced a significant change relative to consumer behavior is the snack market – particularly as it relates to shopping for items and consumer demand. 

Niche Products and Markets Face Challenges but Also See Opportunities

During the pandemic, demand for snacks has increased, as has the volume of items purchased. And it makes total sense. Leading up to the initial lockdown in March and for a period of time afterward, consumers rushed to nearby stores and shopped online in order to stock up on “essentials” (remember all the toilet paper hoarding?). Those essentials included certain types of food. When the shelter-in-place directive hit and work/school relocated to the home front, traditional eating habits changed somewhat (especially among kids). Factor into the mix that snacks are considered one of the ultimate comfort foods and a go-to elixir during times of stress, and it’s no wonder that the snack market has skyrocketed.

Inventory and supply chain (i.e., delivery) challenges notwithstanding, the increased demand and changing consumption patterns among snack fanatics has created tremendous opportunities for established brands.    

In fact, according to Forbes, “snacks are one of the top contributors to the baskets of consumers’ increasingly digital orders. IRI data reveals that salty snacks were second only to beer/alcohol in the edible category in terms of absolute sales in mid-to-late March, with potato chips (+21%), ready-to-eat popcorn (+17%) and plain tortilla chips (+49%) seeing strong growth.”

Source: “Frito-Lay Launches Direct-To-Consumer Sites Amid Pandemic Snacking Surge“, Forbes.com, Christina Troitino

Businesses Must Get Creative to Survive the Downturn

One snack-centric company that identified an opportunity early on and pivoted to meet the evolving needs and growing consumer demand was Frito-Lay. According to a Business Insider article, sales of the company’s flagship brands – including Cheetos, Doritos, Lays, and Tostitos – experienced a considerable surge as the pandemic began to hit closer to home during February and March. Turns out, salty snacks sit high atop the list when it comes to food items driving sales growth among retailers, as noted by data from data analytics and market research company, IRI.    

That was great news for Frito-Lay. But next the company had to figure out – and fast – how to best capitalize on the changing consumption patterns and increased demand among consumers, the majority of whom were at home due to the shelter-in-place ordinance. 

eCommerce and Internet Marketing Can Rejuvenate Your Business

One part of this opportunistic solution involved prioritizing resources so retailers could keep Frito-Lay’s top brands in stock and on shelves. That meant reducing the production of non-key brands and reducing/eliminating distribution to non-at-home distribution sites, such as schools, camps, hotels, and restaurants. But the centerpiece of the salty snack strategy was a brand new, direct-to-consumer website – www.snacks.com – through which anyone with internet access and a credit card could seamlessly satisfy each and every Dorito desire and Lays longing.

The site was launched in 30 days and offered consumers the ability to package up their favorite snack brands in a custom order and have it delivered directly to their door. The site has been a tremendous success and has enabled Frito-Lay to drive business during the health crisis while learning more about their products and consumers at the same time.

How Can You Leverage Ecommerce, Digital Marketing, and Other Web-based Strategies to Connect with Consumers and Drive Business Results?

While the pandemic may seem to be somewhat subsiding and shelter-in-place restrictions are slowly easing, the behavioral effects of the pandemic – especially when it comes to shopping – will be long-lasting and perhaps even permanent (in some cases). 

Many consumers who were reluctant to purchase items online were forced to do so during the lockdown and now see the value. Convenience, ease-of-use, advanced technology, product selection/availability, rapid delivery, cost savings – all of these factors will drive more and more users online to purchase a wider range of items.

As a small business interested in growing, building a brand, and generating more revenue, here are some key elements to consider:

1. If your business doesn’t have an online presence, consider launching a website (like yesterday!). 
2. If you have a website, but it doesn’t allow consumers to purchase items online through your site and have them delivered, consider implementing eCommerce functionality (using a platform like Shopify). Contact experienced web designers that will develop the most useful ecommerce site for your business. 
3. If you’re not leveraging digital marketing techniques to attract more customers, sell more products, and grow your business, consider implementing a customized program. This could include online/social advertising, paid search, Google Ad Words, SEO, mobile optimization, and more.           

So much to do, but where to start? Exults, a full-service digital marketing company, has helped customers of all sizes across a range of industries with their digital marketing needs. So, if you’re considering launching a website, offering ecommerce capabilities, or need assistance with digital marketing, it’s time to bring in the professionals, and grab your piece of the pie! 

Ready to Drive Your Marketing Results to the Next Level? Contact Exults Today!

The post Frito-Lay Launches Unique eCommerce Offering to Meet the Needs of Snack-Crazed Consumers During the Global Pandemic appeared first on Exults Digital Marketing Agency.